The fate of the Jinchuuriki  REDUX
by KuroiTori-sama
Summary: It was a regular mission for Gaara. Let siblings find the targets, move in, eradicate. It was always the same. But on this mission things went wrong. Horribly wrong. That is when she came, shattering his world with the force of a Jūken.
1. Chapter one: The mission

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**_

Rating T (I guess)

Extended summary: The story is set in the three-year gap between Naruto and Naruto Shippuuden. Sbaku no Gaara, the demon of the sand, was assigned a mission – exterminate the numerous rogue shinobi that preyed on the travelers on the border . It was a regular mission for Gaara. Let your siblings find the targets, move in, eradicate. It was always the same. But on this mission things went wrong. Horribly wrong. That is when she came, shattering his world with the force of a Jūken.

Spoilers to Shippuuden series.

Main pairing: Gaara/Hinata; Other pairings may come in time.

Mini author note:

"Konoha" –talking

'_Konoha__'_–thinking

(Hope this explains it, now let the story begin)

**-Fate of the Jinchuuriki – REDUX-**

Chapter one: The mission

It was dawning. On the balcony of one specific building stood a very specific young teen. His red spiky hair was his most prominent feature, especially when compared to the shades of brown that covered both most of the building and his clothing. Two black rings that surrounded his eyes characterized his face, immensely pale under the fading moonlight. Even though all these features could point out only one person in the whole of Suna, a foreigner might still mistake the signs. That's what the gourd was there for. And the tattoo stating 'love'. These two were the clearest of indicators to any traveler. They indicated that the boy they saw was none other then the monstrous Gaara. Sabaku no Gaara, demon of the desert.

It was yet another sleepless night. Gaara clenched his fist in fury uncharacteristic of him. He wasn't mad at anyone in particular – only himself. It didn't matter how hard he tried, the demonic presence buried inside his soul was just too strong to fight alone. In rage, he punched the wall he was leaning on, cracking it on contact. He looked at his knuckles.

Not a scratch, the sand shielded him well.

And for the millionth time, ever since the failed chunin exams, Gaara cursed the village elders for giving him such a weak seal. In fear of harming themselves, they destroyed his life before he even got a chance to live it.

Attracted to the sound, several civilians emerged from their homes, looking for the one who caused it, only to run back inside in fear after seeing him. One particular plump of a man, a local merchant, ran back inside, only to run back out a second later, followed by the rest of his family. Every individual of the household carried a valuable in hand, from an elder who could barely walk to a little girl less than four years old. They fled in fear, disappearing into the web of streets that was Suna. It was their home that Gaara was standing on.

He could understand their fear. He wasn't someone to remain close to… he was dangerous. For a moment, he considered whether to secretly follow the group of people to their destination, ensuring their safety. He thought about it, ultimately deciding against it – the patrols of Suna chunin would be enough, and those people already had enough of a scare for one evening.

He could still hear the cries of the frightened girl echo throughout the streets. To Gaara, they were worse than the damning curses of the adults.

To an outsider, his stoic face betrayed nothing of the internal battle that was being waged within, but Gaara felt more insecure then ever in his life. Since his earliest youth, ever since he made the decision of fighting only for himself, he built walls around himself to push others away, adopting the idea of 'not caring'. But now things were different. He cared, he wanted to care, and that meant that the massive walls that surrounded his soul lost their foundation.

Using sand from his gourd, Gaara made a small, narrow bridge between the balcony of the house he was on and the opposite roof, quickly moving across it while it was still being formed.

'_People have every right to fear me…'_ It was now three days ago, that he gave them more than enough encouragement for it.

_(Flashback)_

"Come on people of Suna! This pathetic little village dares to call itself one of the hidden shinobi villages that support the five great shinobi nations?" The foreigner yelled, sitting in the local ramen stand. Several of the civilians approached the stand, insulted by his words, but were quickly forced to retreat after seeing the swords of his three bodyguards glimmering in the sun. "Even your ramen tastes like sand! Is it one of your local specialties?" he spat on the ground. Already two of the chunins who were passing by made attempts to calm down the situation, but when they come near, the foreigner flashed a card indicating his position as the emissary of the Kawa no Kuni. The chunins cursed, but otherwise said nothing – that man had diplomatic immunity.

Continuing this provocation of the people of Suna, fully aware of the scene he was making, he threw a plate full of ramen to the ground.

"I said not to make it from sand and dog shit!" he yelled at the chef, who was now red in face from rage. Only if the bodyguards weren't there, he would have shoved that plate down the man's throat, and 'customers-are-always-right' be damned. But with the things the way they were, he only quietly took an empty pot and began cooking, praying that this unruly man would soon leave his shop.

It was to this stand that Gaara approached. Like the parting of the Red sea, the crowd scattered, some to the left others to the right, clearing a path for him to pass. As he sat down the chef, now ghostly white in face, shakily asked for his order.

"Fried gizzard."

"B-But, t-this i-is a-a r-ram-men st-tan-" His eyes met Gaara's gaze. "Yes, I will prepare it im-mmediately."

The man turned to face Gaara.

"What you like to eat guts and bladders of animals?" Gaara gave him a glance, noticing his beer belly and a sizeable double chin that seemed to reach all the way down to his sternum. He had hair as red as Gaara's, cropped. He wore a lavish outfit that Gaara rarely managed to see anywhere else other than on nobles and in the Daimyo's Palace.

'_Probably someone from a rich family… Ridiculous.' _He returned his gaze back at the chef who, once he became aware of it, quickly speeded up the food preparation.

The emissary continued to spout profanities, now directing them at Gaara and his choice of food. His bodyguards, noticing the rising levels of fear in the surrounding crowd, that seemed to retreat step after step further away from the ramen stand, almost as if they had a single conscience. Those at the back already were starting to run away. For experienced guards as them, the signs were becoming more and more obvious – to every move the boy made, regardless of its insignificance, the crowd would take a further step back. One of the guards tapped their employer on the shoulder.

"Sir…" The man slapped his arm away. "Don't interrupt me! Do you want me to fire you?"

"No sir." The man turned back towards Gaara. The crowd winced in fear, which by now was as tick as mud, and quite tangible.

The chief, how trembling in fear, approached his two customers. "T-The g-g-gizzard is ready." Seeing the look of approval Gaara gave him, he quickly walked closer, holding the dish with both hands, which were visibly shaking. In his mind, he already said farewell to his beloved family, and was reciting every single prayer he could remember. He firmly believed that, if he were ever to drop the dish, he wouldn't live long enough to see it fall to the ground.

Ignoring both the annoying man and the chef, Gaara put the money on the counter, and began eating, savoring the taste of his favorite meal.

In the background, someone said something in the crowd, but no one listened. Seconds later, a young, brown haired girl rushed out of it, pushing several of the civilians aside, who protested to her rudeness – some louder than others, primarily the ones than were pushed in Gaara's direction, their voices elevating to a higher pitch due to their fear. Realizing the girl wasn't going to stop, but was actually heading towards the demon, several people reached out to stop her, but she shook of their hands without stopping. As she got to Gaara, she reached towards him.

"Gaara-sensai…"

"Matsuri" He replied.

The fat man turned his insults towards her.

"So, you're supposed to be a shinobi?" He spat at her feet. "Bah, can you even throw a kunai?"

Seeing that the girl ignored him, he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. "I'm talking to you, you little brat!" He swung his arm, in an intent of slapping her.

...

The sand filled the air.

_(End flashback)_

As Gaara neared his home, he could see the ruined street several blocks away. The ramen stand was completely obliterated, and the street itself had three small holes over a meter in diameter, where the bodyguards stood when they raised their swords.

'_Why couldn't I stop myself back then…?'_ he wondered. _'I didn't mean to kill him… I just couldn't stop.' _He knew that his student had already forgiven him, even though he almost lost control that time. He wasn't sure whether he should be happy or mad at her. Being so forgiving towards him could prove to be a lethal mistake, should he ever truly lose control over the demon within him, but on the other hand, knowing that he had not lost the only person who truly believed in him other than his siblings felt – in lack of a better term – warm.

As he entered through the open window of his room, he collected all of his sand back into his gourd, then tossed it into the furthest corner of the room. As he laid on his bed, Gaara remembered that tomorrow he, Kankuro and Temari were to meet the Kazekage council , a temporary ruling body of Suna that was in control until the election of the Godaime Kazekage, and that they were to receive their next mission there.

O-O-O

Several hours later, in the Kazekage council's temporary meeting chamber…

Gaara and his two siblings, Kankuro and Temari, walked through the door. The moment he stepped through the door, the atmosphere inside the room changed. No more were there idle chats between friends. Everything became strictly business.

'_Hn.' _

Though Gaara had been already used to that kind of treatment by everyone in the village, he still couldn't help but feel bitter. He tried to change. He desperately tried, and yet they failed to even notice. Once, none of it mattered to him. Back then, he cared, loved and fought for only himself, therefore the opinions of others didn't matter. But that was then.

'Ironic…' he though to himself. 'The same people I would have killed for only looking at me the wrong way are now the ones I would kill for…'he looked outside the window next to which he was standing. The people out there… they were the ones he would die for. Amazing how in only five and a half months someone's life could change so much.

His fists unconsciously clenched.

"Gaara." It was a faint whisper. Temari. She was pleading him.

'_Hn?'_ the red-haired boy wondered, raising is almost nonexistent brow, before realizing what those subtle motions of his hands meant to the people around him. It meant he was ready to kill. He shook his head.

"Sorry."

The meeting continued uninterrupted.

The elderly jounin, covered in scars – a testimony to the long years he spent fighting on the front lines, began explaining the mission specs but Gaara, lost in his thoughts, failed to hear him.

'_Why bother anyway? I already know what mission I will be assigned to.'_

It was always the same for him. Search-and-destroy. It was the only mission that a weapon was good for. Yet Gaara wouldn't be swayed. He continued to struggle, always trying to find missions that didn't require senseless killing. He constantly demanded to go on more missions, only making small pauses between every three or four of them to give his siblings a break.

During that time, he would train with Baki, determined to no longer rely solely on the Shukaku's sand. The kunai and shuriken were some of the more interesting pieces of equipment Baki made him work with. Now he was wearing a small holster full of the two types of weapons.

'_I wonder if I'll ever need to learn kenjutsu as well…'_ For a second he considered paying attention to the briefing, but giving it a second thought, _'I can always ask Kankuro or Temari to tell me the details.'_

He didn't know how much time had passed since they began explaining everything to them. During that time, he would most often just gaze out the window. From it, he could see the young academy students practicing their skills with the kunai.

Minutes passed by.

He felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. Without even turning, he just stated.

"Kankuro."

The puppet-master hesitated for a second, but continued.

"The meeting was over five minutes ago, Gaara. We got assigned to a new mission, it's-…"

"Search-and-destroy, right?" Gaara interrupted him. "Let's get going."

O-O-O

One and a half days later, on the border with the Fire country…

Two shadows blurred across the treetops. The girl covered her microphone to avoid and interference from the wind.

"Gaara, how's your signal reception?" In an instant, she saw the red-head reaching towards his face, mimicking her.

"Loud and clear. Stay alert." Temari couldn't help but chuckle a bit. There he was using his hand to cover his microphone. To an outsider this may seem insignificant, but until just recently, he would still use the sand.

She landed on a thick branch of an old oak.

"Was there any word from Kankuro?" Some fifty meters from her, Gaara paused on top of a tree to look around to spot any possible threat that may have eluded Kankuro, who went up ahead to scout the area.

"None. He'll call when he has something to report."

Temari scoffed.

"That idiot better not be dozing of under some tree! If he is I'll bash his skull!"

Deciding that it would be best not to reply to her, he simply added, "We should hurry." With that, they moved out again, picking up speed with each jump.

O-O-O

Meanwhile, some ten hours away from the border…

"Oh, come on already, Hinata! Hurry up or we'll leave you behind!" The boy's shout was immediately followed by a dog's barking.

The girl simply stuttered a shaky _Hai_, and picked up her pace, quickly matching her speed with her teammates. The boy gave her another glance, making sure she was keeping up – just to be on the save side.

"Yosh! Let's go, Akamaru!" The boy shouted again, running next to his dog Akamaru, who now had almost sixty centimeters in length. In response, the dog barked, waving his tail.

The second boy maneuvered closer to the duo. He was wearing a trench coat with a high collar that concealed most of his lower face. He also wore glasses that semi-concealed his eyes.

"Kurenai-sensei says that we are to stop here."

"H-h-hai, Shino-kun. K-Kiba-kun!" She called her other teammate, "We're going to take a break!" The boy in question, Kiba, looked at her confusedly.

"What, already! But we had our last break three hours ago! Me and Akamaru can keep go another hour an a half, easily!"

"Sorry, K-kiba-kun! Sensei's orders." She smiled as she heard her teammate's dissatisfied grumble. The moment they hit the ground they were approached by a beautiful black-haired woman, Yūhi Kurenai.

"Sensei, why are we stopping now?"

The woman simply reached for her kunai. The sign couldn't be clearer – enemies.

In an instant, the ground beneath their feet exploded with several shinobi attempting to slash their targets. If they were facing a different squad, they might have won. But against team 8 they never stood a chance. The two that jumped at Kurenai screamed as what they believed to be the Konoha jounin turned in to an acidic mist. The next moment they were lying on the ground, knocked unconscious, their faces still bearing the horror of the illusion they were caught into.

As for the Hyuuga heiress, she had troubles of her own, namely the three rogue shinobi that were trying to surround her. If their stance was any indication they were probably genin.

Her hands formed a seal.

"Byakugan!" The veins on her temples bulged.

The first of three jumped at her, kunai in hand, in an attempt to overpower the girl it taijutsu. As soon as he got close enough to stab at her however, she lunged forward with her index and middle fingers at the genin's shoulders.

The result was instantaneous – the kunai just slipped out of the genin's grip, as both of his arms slumped down uselessly. The only thing that saved him from getting knocked out were his two companions that immediately charged forward. After sealing away the tenketsu in the second's arm then punching him at the base of the neck, Hinata glanced over in the direction of her two teammates. She was surprised to see the two using tag fighting to take down their opponents, with Shino's bugs providing a perfect cover for Kiba's and Akamaru's Gatsūga – the enemy never saw them coming. As for Kurenai-sensei, Hinata could clearly see the effects of the genjutsu. Considering everything the fighting would soon end. That just left…

She felt her opponent's kunai cutting through skin on her left shoulder. She winced in pain, but still didn't fail to seize the only opening she needed to take him down. She smiled inwardly as inspiration struck was the most bizarre tactic she ever used, but there was no denying the fact that it was _almost_ always successful. Given the fact that you survive the your opponent's attack, you will be able to defeat him, since the enemy always has the most openings when delivering what he or she believes to be a winning blow.

Given the fact that you survive, of course. And she survived… With a powerful blow to his chest, she released the brunt of her chakra in the form of a Jūken.

She turned towards the last of the three of her opponents, the one whose arms she disabled. He quickly tried to back away from her, but tripped over some roots and fell down. Hinata pulled out her kunai.

"It's o-over. S-Surrender, please."

O-O-O

Several minutes later…

"Damn, Hinata! And here I thought I was the reckless one!"

To say that Hinata was embarrassed was a definite understatement, since after her teammates saw her wound her face practically went through every single shade of red.

"S-sorry, K-kiba-kun… I just-…" The boy just shook his head.

"Forget it. Luckily for you, Kurenai-sensei also knows some basic healing jutsu – otherwise you'd be stuck with a permanent scar there, Hinata."

"S-sorry, guys." Even though her shoulder was now bandaged and the bleeding stopped, she could still feel some of the pain in her arm whenever she used it.

Feeling embarrassed with what happened, she tried to apologize again, but was interrupted by the bug-user Shino, who approached them.

"We should move."

Looking at him, she nodded. The mission was only getting started.

O-O-O

Half an hour later…

Though often regarded as just another pretty face, Yūhi Kurenai was that she was one of the elite jounins of Konoha and the best genjutsu user outside the Uchiha clan. Now that the Uchihia were no longer a part of Konoha, one might state that Yūhi Kurenai became number one. And those that said so were absolutely correct.

It was this very fact what was now confusing her. As she ran over the treetops leading her team, she couldn't help but wonder at how one of their attackers, who was wearing a Konoha forehead protector failed to recognize her. Could the forehead protector have been a fake? Or was he a deserter? If he was, he should have recognized her. Her scowl only deepened.

Take the fact that none of the survivors was the leader, and add to it the fact that the five that they did manage to take down alive couldn't explain why the ambush was placed there – there was definitely something going on.

It felt exactly like they were heading into a well-orchestrated trap.

O-O-O

A/N: And that's it for the chapter one of _'Fate of the Jinchuuriki – Redux'_.

Translation section:

_Jinchuuriki _- (literally meaning) 'Power of Human Sacrifice'; People who had a Tailed Beast sealed inside of them

_Suna _- sand

_Sabaku no Gaara_ - Gaara of the Sand Waterfall (or Gaara of the Desert in the English media)

_Kawa no Kuni_ - Land of Rivers

_Kenjutsu _- Sword Technique

_Gatsūga _- Fang Passing Fang

_Jūken_ - Gentle fist

_Genjutsu _- Illusionary Techniques

...

How I was inspired to write this story? I find it hilarious, so I'll share it with you.

The whole "Fate of the Jinchuuriki"-thing was a plot bunny I got after seeing a picture of Gaara and Hinata together, standing back-to-back, but I didn't recognize them immediately. One I did, my reaction was priceless. It was like – Oh, what a cute couple… Wait a sec, isn't that…*jaw hit the floor* Gaara? With Hinata! Wow, didn't see that one coming.

Anyways, see ya in 24 (maybe 48) hours, with chapter two!

~KuroiTori-sama


	2. Chapter two: Enemy contact!

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**_

Rating T (I guess)

A/N: So I missed the deadline. Sue me. (Please don't! That was a joke. XD)

A huge thanks to _Hina-chancares8, MatrimC and Heythur _for your reviews – you have no idea how much they mean to me (or maybe you do – a lot of fanfiction authors are addicts it that department, lol).

PS: NO ANIMALS WERE HURT IN THE MAKING OF THIS CHAPTER

Mini author note:

"Konoha" – talking

'_Konoha__'_– thinking

"**Konoha" **– Bijuu talking

'_**Konoha**__**'**_– Bijuu thinking

Chapter two: Enemy contact!

'_Well, that was a total waste of time!'_

The black-garbed boy gritted his teeth in annoyance. As he moved through the thick foliage, he repeatedly cursed the fate that left him as the vanguard of team Sabaku. He ducked under another low branch, only to get Karasu bump into it – and that made him see the stars.

'_I swear, sometimes this whole hide-in-the-wrappings-of-your-doll-while-it-moves-and-fights-all-the-time simply isn't worth it!'_ Of course he was the one in the wrappings – he was in enemy territory, after all.

'_A vanguard.'_ He mussed sarcastically. _'Move ahead. Relay information. Delay the enemy advance. That's what being a vanguard is all about.'_ Unfortunately, it seemed nobody remembered to tell that to the enemy.

'_That's just great. This mission is so exciting I might as well take a nap. Just revolting.'_

Still, he tried to avoid any possible clearings, just in case.

Seeing a large beech tree, Kankuro stopped next to it. Pulling out a kunai, he quickly etched several symbols in its bark. The symbols themselves were angular in design, a special system of symbols he developed with the help from Gaara and Temari a month ago. Interestingly, a number of Jonins showed interest in it, due to its uniqueness. In short, it stated – 'The road is clear, enemy presence negative. PS: I'm bored.'

As he turned around to proceed his scouting operation, he felt as if he was being watched.

Ignoring the initial impulse to call out, asking the stereotypical question 'who's there', Kankuro pulled out his kunai with the right hand of his puppet in disguise. At the same time, he made the left hand of the puppet push it's fingers into the cloth wrappings that he was hiding in, in order to trick any possible enemies into believing that he was ready to release his puppet.

Something moved in the bushes.

Immediately, Kankuro threw his kunai. The sound of the blade meeting flesh was clearly heard.

'_Gotcha!'_ He walked over to examine the result, but to his disappointment, he only found a wild boar lying dead with a kunai embedded into its body.

"GAAH! False alarm, not again!"

As he continued to move further ahead, Kankuro had to stop, as he felt a huge cramp forming in his left leg. On the outside, his pseudo-self simply collapsed to the ground.

He gritted his teeth, as he pulled himself loose. Trying to ignore the pain, he looked around just in case there were some hostiles. Relived that he found none, Kankuro pulled himself closer to the tree and leaned on it and began rubbing his leg. This was starting to turn in to a problem. Sure, being hidden in Karasu's wrappings did get him out of a number of tight spots before, but the discomfort made him consider the possibility of finding an alternative.

'_Next time we'll at least have to narrow down the enemy's possible locations – this is killing me!'_

Giving his surroundings another look, he pulled out his flask of water. Just as he lifted it to his lips, he felt a crushing pressure around his ankles. With disbelief, he saw two hands sticking out of the ground, each crushing his ankles in their iron-hard grip.

'_Enemies! Here? Shit!'_ He reached for the puppet strings, but more hand burst from the ground, further immobilizing him.

"Shit!" he cursed out. In desperation, he pulled out his kunai, slashing the hands that held his ankles. The hands immediately released him, but as he wrestled himself free, he could see enemy shinobi silently rising from the ground.

'_This is Doton! But how? How can mere thugs-…?'_ His sentence remained unfinished, as a pair of arms of hardened wood wrapped around him. Kankuro's eyes widened as he recognized them.

'_They're using my Karasu against me!'_

With a nauseous sound, the bones in both of his arms snapped like twigs, crushed under the pressure of Karasu's grip.

The boy screamed in agony.

A pair of hands erupted from the grassy ground he was standing on, pulling him down, deeper into the earth.

As darkness claimed him, the only conscious strand remaining etched a chilling thought – his opponent, the one that took over Karasu, the man that lead the attack… Who ever he was… He was no mere genin. He was something far more dangerous… A jounin.

O-O-O

A man walked out of the bushes where the sand genin was defeated. He had long, dirt-brown hair that went down his back like a mane. His blue eyes scanned the place. A smirk snuck onto his face as he concluded that no traceable evidence was left behind. As the smile spread over his face, the scar under his left eye stretched, making his appearance appear gruesome and sinister.

He reached for the microphone on the collar of his Jounin vest.

"So much for the puppeteer. What's my team's next objective?" As he listened to his orders, his satisfied smile changed to a frown, which deepened with every word his superior spoke. "So. Let me see if I understand this – we are _not_ to hunt for the sand user and his sister?"

"_That is correct. You have been assigned a new objective."_ The voice in the earphone replied, further explaining the new mission. Listening to the man, the shinobi's grin grew even larger.

"Yes sir, I'll instruct the men immediately, sir." He turned around, looking towards the place they fought the genin. Even though all of his men were hidden, he knew they were there. He waved his hand at them.

"All right boys, we're moving out to a new objective." One after another, the six of his men emerged from the ground, silently.

'_So, they are learning… but these missions better change or my skills might get rusty.'_ He watched them in amusement, as they lined up in front of him. _'I will mold them, and they will learn what it truly means to be a Hassassin of the west desert!'_

O-O-O

_Meanwhile, some five hours from the border…_

"This is where we part our ways." Said the black-haired jounin. It was a difficult decision for Kurenai to make, and it made her feel uncomfortable with the Kokage's decision. Even though they possessed various skills that made them one of the best trackers of Konoha, they were nowhere near as ready as they should have been. Despite having one chunin exam behind them, even though it has only been a year since they became genins, her team still lacked the experience for this kind of work. This was not some D rank mission, where they would look for lost pets or do chores, and neither was it a C rank mission where they would have to fend of a bunch of muggers. No, this was a B rank mission, with the potential of becoming an A rank. Here they would have to face enemy shinobi, whose rankings may go as high as chunin… or in the absolute worst case scenario, jounin.

She was worried for all of them. Kiba was always impatient and headstrong, which was a dangerous combination. On the other hand, there was Shino, an overly cautious shinobi of the Aburame clan. Though his cautiousness was commendable, on several occasions it has lead to him failing to act when he was really needed.

And then, there was Hinata. Always timid and gentle, never doing anything that might get other people mad or upset, but capable of fighting like a lioness if pushed hard enough. Kurenai knew, deep down inside, that she herself was the only one to blame for her student's slow progress. If she hadn't coddled her like that…

Kurenai remembered how Kakashi criticized her once for that, when he popped out of nowhere during their training.

_(Flashback)_

She jumped a step back as an open palm flew past her face. Dodging to the left, Kurenai grabbed the wrist of her student, tossing her across the field. Landing on her feet, Hinata held the aching wrist of her right hand. During her fall, her Byakugan deactivated.

She moved her hands into a seal. The veins around her eyes and templates bulged, as her vision sharpened beyond ordinary human capabilities.

"Byakugan!"

…

They've been at this for a whole hour, sparing constantly. She could see the signs that her student is getting tired.

"Let's take a break, Hinata." She proposed, at the same time feeling guilty for not making her student push her limits.

"H-hai, Kurenai-sensei." As the girl went to watch her two teammates training, Kurenai could only feel worried about her progress. She was so caught up with this that she barely noticed a shadow in the tree above. She noticed him only when he jumped down next to her.

"Kakashi." She stated. "How long have you been up there?" She demanded to know.

"Long enough." He jumped of, landing next to her. "You're really going easy on her, aren't you? She was nowhere near her limit." The scarecrow-look-alike said. "Kurenai, there will come a time when she will have to fend for herself, and you won't be there to hold her hand." She looked at him frowning, wondering if he used his sharingan to read her thoughts.

"Yes, I know… and I agree." She stopped and smiled. "I can't believe that you of all people would be giving me this lecture, at least not after the whole Sasuke fiasco…"

"Hey, I'm just pointing out a problem here…" She looked at him, only to realize how much the mention of the Uchiha managed to change Kakashi's mood. As far as the scarecrow-man was concerned, Uchiha Sasuke was his greatest failure, as both a sensei and a friend.

"I'll try not to underestimate neither her, nor her abilities… Thanks, Kakashi." He only smiled under his mask.

"Always happy to help…" He pulled out his watch from his pocket. "Oh, well what do you know, it's already time for my healthy spar with my young pink-haired student… I hope all my bones remain in place after this…" Seeing Kurenai was confused, he simply added, "Tsunade-sama's special training." Kurenai nodded – that explained everything.

As she watched him walk away, she looked back at her team, which was now taking a collective break. Hinata was playing with Akamaru, Shino was leaning on a tree looking at some bugs that were flying through the air, and Kiba was bragging as usual while being ignored by both of his teammates.

'_At least they're kind enough to pretend to listen.'_ Kuranai smiled.

"Alright team, back to training!"

_(End flashback)_

Three months have passed since that day. Looking to the way things were back then, it was a nothing less than a miracle to see Hinata transform into the girl that stood in front of her. However, Kurenai still had her doubts. She knew that it was still not enough. And in the light of the current circumstances, quite unnerving. The more she thought about it, the more she frowned at Tsunade-sama's decision to have her team perform this mission – without her to lead them as mission leader. She looked at them, noticing that they were both confused and eager to hear what she meant by 'parting ways'.

"I'm putting Shino in charge of your operation." She finally said. "You will have three objectives. First, to make contact with the Suna shinobi being sent to our aid. Second, you are to coordinate your efforts with them and locate the enemy encampment. Third, enter the encampment without being detected and free the civilians held hostage by the enemy."

"So, we're doing an infiltration mission, then?" Shino asked.

"Yes." She handed them a set of scrolls. "Please remember that the hostage crisis is new information so don't forget to share it with the Suna team. Fourth and final, when the hostages are safe, relay the information to me via Shino's bugs."

"That's it?" I was obvious that Kiba wasn't gonna let this one pass. "What happens after we inform you?" Kurenai shook her head.

"Classified information. Sorry." It was the only thing she could answer to him at that time. Her own mission was an S-rank, and she didn't have the authorization to disclose any information about it. "Is everything clear? If you have any questions you better ask them now, Hokage-sama ordered to maintain a strict radio silence during the mission. Once we part, we will deactivate our radio communicators."

She looked at their concerned faces knowing exactly what was going through their heads. After all, she had those same fears herself. If there's something wrong they'll have only each other and the Suna team to rely on. And, since they had no idea which team the Kazekage council would send…

"Any questions?"

"No sensei." They answered in unison. They took off their radios.

"Move out!"

O-O-O

_Midnight. Back with Gaara, five hours after Kankuro was supposed to return (seven since his capture)…_

"Where could he be, Gaara?" The blond kunoichi asked, punching a tree in frustration. "I swear, if he's dozing off under some bush somewhere making us worry, I'll…!" She sat down closer to the fire. "What if he got captured… or worse?"

Gaara was leaning against a big rock, staring into the black, star-filled sky. Even though his emotionless face betrayed nothing, he could her worries, and he himself was starting to get nervous thoughts at the back of his mind. _'Where are you?'_ he asked inwardly. Looking at Temari, he realized that he was probably supposed to give her some comforting words like… He frowned. That's just it – he didn't know any, other than _I won't kill you today_, and he honestly doubted that that would work at all.

And then, there was the mission. He remembered the sand lizard summon that brought the scroll which contained an update on their initial orders. The orders themselves were… confusing, and lacking information. He looked at the scroll again.

_- Meet the Konoha shinobi trackers._

_- Coordinate your efforts with them and locate the enemy encampment._

_- Remove all hostiles in the vicinity of the encampment._

_-Do not engage the main encampment._

_- If necessary, provide assistance to the Konoha shinobi to complete their mission._

Gaara stood up, wrapping the scroll and putting it away in the small pouch on his hip.

"Come on, we have to meet the team sent from Konoha." He could see her eyes widening at his words.

"We are leaving that idiot behind?"

Gaara remained silent, thinking carefully about what to say next.

"No." Looking at her, it was clear that wasn't enough. _'Hn.'_ He had to try again.

"Konoha is sending a team of trackers. We can ask for their help. We were supposed to meet them an hour ago. Let's go."

"And what if they refuse to help? If they decide that the mission is more important than our brother! What if-…"

"They won't." Forcefully, he formed a small smile (since all his bigger smiles were murderous grins). "They won't refuse." He started to walk towards his guar. If they were to refuse, things would definitely get ugly.

'_Gaara…'_ Temari wanted to say something, but, no matter what she thought of, words would die long before she could speak them. Simply by looking into her younger brother's eyes she knew that, when he gets like that, there was no arguing with him.

Strapping the large fan on her back, she walked over to the fire, kicking dirt over it, putting it out.

Pulling out a small map from her backpack, she looked at the place marked as the meeting spot. It was some distance away, maybe fifteen to twenty minutes if they moved at speed.

O-O-O

_At the same time, ninety minutes from Gaara's current position…_

They were jumping through the thick treetops when Kiba silently gave a sign to stop. As the rest of his team approached cautiously to his branch, he began whispering.

"Hey, not sure what Akamaru smelled, but he thinks it's bad."

"Enemies? Or enemy traps?" The bug user asked.

"We're not sure. Better be careful."

They continued moving forward to their meeting place – they were already late and now they even had to slow down to avoid setting of any possible traps or alert the enemy shinobi that were most likely in the area.

'_And so close to the location chosen for the meeting…'_ Shino thought to himself, frowning. But there was nothing he could do. He quickly relayed to his bugs a message to stay alert and ready for combat. A silent buzzing that only he could hear answered him.

As far as Shino was concerned, the mission needed completing, and that was all there was to it. Kurenai-sensei was depending on them.

As they continued moving, Shino relied on his team for scouting the aria. Sure, he could send his bugs in all directions and use them as an advanced warning system, but maintaining the link grew evermore difficult as the distance between him and his bugs increased. This way, if they are somehow surprised by the enemy shinobi, which was relatively unlikely, he would be at 100% battle readiness.

But then again, an attack by the enemy shinobi was rather unlikely to happen at all. Now, enemy traps – now that was a completely different story.

Shino landed on a tick branch. Just as he was prepared to jump again, he heard Kiba shout a warning. With barely a second to react, Shino jumped of the branch, diving towards the ground. Barely half a second later, the whole treetop was engulfed in bright flame, as the concealed explosive tags, which were covering most of the treetop, detonated. Through the sound of bells and static, he could hear Kiba shouting something at him. He got up to his knees, shaking his head to stop the noise in his ears. Blinking hard several times, Shino felt his eyesight clearing.

Finally, the sound of bells stopped.

"Shino! Are you okay?" Kiba asked, worried since his teammate failed to register anything he said so far.

Pushing himself back up on his feet, Shino felt that his jacket was burnt across the back.

"My jacket is ruined." He replied. Kiba could feel a sweet drop in his face, as he stared at his friend, dumbfounded.

"But you yourself are fine, right?" He asked in disbelief and annoyance. Akamaru barked, mockingly.

"I'm fine. Do any of you sense enemy shinobi?" He watched as they began to scan the area. Kiba and Akamaru began to sniff the air, looking for any remaining scent, while Hinata, with her Byakugan activated, looked for the enemy chakra. In mere seconds, the boy with fang tattoos shouted triumphantly.

"Found one!" The boy yelled out. "Come on Hinata, let's get him!"

"H-hai!" The girl replied, running after her friend and his dog.

Just as Shino was getting ready to join them, he felt his bugs screaming warning signs in his brain. Turning around, he saw a single dart flying through the air and immediately realized he couldn't dodge it. He sent his chakra to his bugs instead, ordering them to form a shield between himself and the dart. What happened next caught him completely by surprise. Shino's eyes widened at the sight of the dart disintegrating in mid-flight, it's remains powder-coating him head to toe. He tried to brush it of from his face, coughing, only to find out that his arms moved sluggishly. Then they refused to move entirely, slumping next to his body uselessly

He felt his mind going numb. _'Poison!' _He realized in horror, as the thought of it went through his mind. Mentally, he reached for his bugs, knowing that they should have rendered him immune to almost all poisons. But, as he tried to order his bugs to help him, he was shocked to find that they were out cold too, with half of them dead, and the other half on the verge of dying.

"Just give up already, will ya." Shino heard the Shinobi who emerged from the shadow say. As the man walked up to him, Shino tried to jump away, only to unceremoniously fall on his back, now completely paralyzed. Lying on the ground, he could only watch as the enemy shinobi pull out a long, curved dagger he carried on his back, placed so that the tip was pointing towards the man's right shoulder. Now that it was unsheathed, Shino could see that its blade was decorated by an image of a dragon-serpent, running down the length of it. The man crouched down next to him. He was wearing a bone mask with fame motif, resembling the Akuma, one of the most feared mythological demons of the old, with only the Bijuu causing more fear among the people. Through the eye-shaped holes, Shino could see a pair of cerulean eyes looking at him. Something in them made the usually unemotional Shino flinch in fear.

'_This man…'_ He thought to himself, through the static of his own thoughts, _'…He didn't lower his guard even for a second… I can't move… I can barely think straight… I'm going to die!'_

But the man stared at him for a second, then returned the dagger into its sheath on his back. In a flash, the mysterious man punched the boy in the face with such force that Shino's nose broke under impact.

Standing up next to the boy's unconscious body, the man reached for his communicator.

"Mission completed. I have the bug user. Don't know why you need him though. Ryuu, over and out." He paused for a second, and then changed the device's frequency.

"The target is neutralized. Break off the goose chase." Picking up the boy's limp body, the man named Ryuu tossed him over his shoulder. He then walked away, whistling, knowing that he left no trace of himself.

He never did – not even scent. Nether his, nor his target's.

In the distance, his men disappeared without a trace, leaving the two remaining members of team eight standing alone in the massive forest, as the wolves began to howl under the light of the full moon.

O-O-O

A/N: Not sure if I wrote this anywhere in the previous chapter but this story is a rewrite of my 'Fate of the Jinchuuriki', which was a failed story. After realizing that the way it was then was not good enough and that it deserved better, through the help of _Silverarrow65_, I took some time off, worked on my other stories, improved my writing abilities in general, etc. I then came back and wrote a chapter three to it, but the gap between the old and the new was insurmountable. And so, here I am – writing the whole thing over again. *shrugs shoulders*

Chapter three is already 2500 words strong and getting larger so it shouldn't take me too long to get it finished. (Then again, I have a history of not meeting my deadlines when it comes to updates… lol)

_~KuroiTori-sama_

PS: The original story "Fate of the Jinchuuriki" will be removed upon the release of "Chapter three: The demon awakens!"


	3. Chapter three: The demon awakens!

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**_

Rating T (I guess)

Mini author note:

"Konoha" – talking

'_Konoha__'_– thinking

"**Konoha" –** Bijuu talking

'_**Konoha'**_** –** Bijuu thinking

A/N: A huge thanks to… well… umm… Let's just get to the next chapter. (TT_TT)

O-O-O

Chapter three: The demon awakens!

O-O-O

'_This desert is never ending…'_ Gaara thought to himself, as he strolled down the scorching hellscape. Always on guard, he cautiously moved forward, his right hand wrapped in ever-shifting sand from his gourd. In his left hand, in a firm grip, he held a kunai – in that rotten place the sands were not to be trusted, no matter their origin. Gaara examined his surroundings.

'_Where are you?'_

Across the desert, the winds that shifted, echoing a terrible sound. Gaara clenched the kunai tighter, wishing he had wrapped an explosive tag when he had the time. _'Not that it would help…' _ It never did.

The winds shifted again, rising up a small sandstorm.

Gaara raised his hand to his eyes, shielding them from the sand. After making a few more steps further, the wind speed picked up, reducing his line of sight down to just a few feet ahead. As he trudged through the sandy blizzard, his foot slipped on the slope of the dune he unconsciously was climbing on, making him lose his balance.

Not able to stay upright, he fell down, rolling down the dune's side.

'_Damn!'_

He buried his right hand into the surface of the dune, webbing his own chakra-filled sand into the soil beneath. As soon as he did that, he came to a halt.

The sandstorm ended as soon as it had started, but the bone-chilling laughter that filled the air only got louder.

Gaara's frown deepened. _'Where are you?'_ he wondered. He didn't need the answer, however – its foul stench was everywhere.

"**Right here!" **the demonic voice roared.

Gaara jumped up in the air, dodging the sand spikes that burst up out of the ground. He forced more of the sand in his gourd, further coating his right arm. As he did so, from it, sharp tree like branches erupted, each slamming itself into the spikes that came of the ground.

'_Damn! Can't stop them all!' _The smaller spikes were immediately stopped, but the larger spikes smashed through.

Pulling out more of the gourd's sand, he changed the branches into an oval shield. As the spikes rammed into it, one managed to pierce the shield, embedding deep in Gaara's shoulder, causing him to scream in pain, as he pulled himself free.

Pulling some of the sand over the kunai, Gaara compressed it, implanting his chakra in layers.

As the sand where the spikes came from bulged to form something that vaguely resembled a head.

'_Jutsu ready.'_ He threw the knife. Instantly, it pierced the head-like bulge, causing it to sink back into the sand.

"Not yet!" Midair, Gaara began weaving hand seals. The surface of the sand coating the kunai cracked and, as the jutsu began to deploy, caused the sand to burst deep into the head.

The monstrous voice yelled out in pain.

'_Now!'_

Gaara seized his chance and released the second stage of the jutsu. Instantly, out of the single sand spike dozens of smaller, sharp sand-made branches burst into its skull.

The monster screamed in agony.

As Gaara hit the ground, he surveyed his surroundings.

In the back of his head, he heard a mocking sound.

"**Not bad, kid. This is the longest you've managed to hold against me… But I'm tired of this game… I WANT OUT!"**

…

…

Almost like the jaws of some giant monstrosity, the sand rose around Gaara, enveloping him… drowning him… pulling him downward…

Into the realm of the _Shukaku…_

_O-O-O_

Temari, tossed another branch into the fire. Opposite to her, sat Kiba, half-asleep, his head resting on Akamaru. She shook her head at how the small puppy grew over the past few months. Already, he was too big for Kiba to carry on his head, now being almost double his size from the failed chunin exams. As a mosquito buzzed over Kiba's face, he slapped himself, muttered a course and went back to sleep.

What neither of them managed to notice, was that the gourd, which was laying down on the ground with Gaara leaning on it, began to crack. From those small cracks, sand began pouring out, and little by little, it inched closer and closer to its sleeping user. As it touched his palm, it went up is wrist, up to his elbow and, once it climbed over his shoulder, it began to cluster on his chest and back.

O-O-O

Two hundred meters away, Hinata was performing her duties as a lookout. She too was unaware of the looming threat that hung over their heads.

At the moment, she was sitting high above the ground, in the top branches on a large oak, concealed by its tick foliage. As the seconds passed, she realized that her current position wasn't very comfortable. In order not to get stiff, she moved to another branch to her left, positioning her center of gravity low, so that she could maintain balance easily. Brushing from her face the few strands of hair, which was now long enough to reach to her shoulders, she fixed her gaze on the horizon.

"Byakugan." It was as if someone removed a great veil from her eyes, as the world around her became clear.

The surroundings gave off nothing but the beasts of the forest. She could see a pack of wolves far to the east, and a number of wild eagles soaring proudly through the skies. As she leaned back against the tree trunk, she continued to gaze at the magnificent birds. At one moment, one of them dived towards the ground, then, in the nick of time, burst back skywards, clutching a small animal in its mighty talons. Seconds later, it disappeared from her view.

'_Amazing...'_

She continued to examine the surroundings. On the very edge of her byakugan-enhanced vision, far to the northwest, she could see a narrow dirt road, and on it, traveling in a wooden cart, an elderly couple. Ahead of them, maybe by some four of five meters, a young man rode on horseback, with a sword resting on his back. Hinata assumed that he was most likely a son of the couple.

But in the world of shinobi, nothing is certain. Those who would trust reality were only the foolish, the young, and the dead. Shinobi were the individuals that could see beneath the existence of reality as such, those that could see 'underneath the underneath'. As the heiress of the Hyuuga, Hinata learned those lessons well, even if on certain occasions she would choose to ignore them. After all, some things in life can never be learned through lessons of others. That is what _he_ had taught her…

'_Naruto-kun…'_ You had to go and experience things yourself… to fight your own battles – not sit on the sidelines and wait for the echoes to reach you.

She again changed her position to another branch, as it was becoming uncomfortable to remain were she was. The instant she settled in she scanned the surroundings. There was nothing out of the ordinary.

'_Shino-kun… I hope you're okay…'_

It has been hours since they lost their teammate. It was the most bizarre thing ever. One minute they were chasing down an enemy shinobi, the next Shino seemed to have disappeared in the thin air, along with whoever the shinobi they were pursuing were. Even with her byakugan-enhanced eyesight and Kiba's and Akamaru's ability to pick up any scent no matter how weak it was, they were helpless to find him.

'_Gaara-san and Temari-san's brother is missing too. We can't look for them both.'_ She gripped her head, unable to free herself from this internal struggle. _'What should we do…? What should I do…?'_

O-O-O

_(Meanwhile)_

Gaara was already pulled waist-deep into the sand, as the towering, hurricane-like wall of sand closed around him from all directions.

'_Damn.' _ He cursed, as the last of his tricks failed to hold off the inevitable. Now, it one again came down to raw strength – a battle Gaara always lost.

"Suna no Tama no jutsu!" In an instant, a perfect sphere of sand formed around him, creating a barrier between himself and the murderous sands from the outside. Before he could switch between the defensive and offensive, the sand crumbled away, falling to the ground.

Forcing more of his chakra into the sand, Gaara made it rise again, only for it to fall again.

'_Not yet!'_ he weaved more hand seals. _'If the sand is useless here… Guess I'll have to use that…'_

"Fūton: Toppa!"

A furious gust of wind blew outwards, blasting the sand away.

Gaara looked down. The sand had reached up to his chest. If he were to fail to stop it, the demon of sand would take over, endangering everyone around himself.

He placed his palms on the surface of the sand.

"Fūton: Dait-" Before he could finish, the sand rose again, trapping his hands. Gaara gritted his teeth, as anger began boiling in side him. "Fūton: Daitoppa!" The sand erupted around him.

'_Come on, Temari… Konoha shinobi… someone…'_ "Wake me already!"

As in response to his desperation, the sands rose again… and this time there was nothing in their way to stop them. Like tentacles, strands of sand crawled over his shoulders, over his chin, nose, eyes…

In a matter of seconds, the desert was barren again, the remnants of the battle that was fought there were already gone.

O-O-O

Hinata kept her eyes on the people on the road, trying to assess whether or not they were a threat. She was unprepared for the bloodcurdling scream that came from the campsite.

Immediately, she jumped of the tree, focusing her byakugan in order to see up ahead. She stumbled at sight of what was there, as the cold claw of fear clutched her heart.

'_Is that… G-Gaara-kun?'_ she forced herself to continue running towards the campsite, even though every cell in her body screamed at her to run away.

Gaara stood next to the flames of the campfire. Sand covered most of his face and body, coating it like a second skin, making him resemble a miniature version of the Shukaku. From his right fist, Hinata could see that some liquid dripped. In horror, she realized what it was…

Blood…

O-O-O

"What's the matter with you, you crazy monster?" Kiba yelled at him, as he barely dodged a column of sand that whipped past him. _'Shit! Did Suna turn on us again?'_ He rolled out of the way of a falling tree.

"Akamaru!" The dog barked in replay. "Let's go! Jūjin Bunshin!" The two animalistic Kibas charged at their opponent. "Gatsūga!"

The two flew threw air, rotating wildly, poised to pierce the monster of the desert. It was in the last possible second that Kiba managed forcefully to end his jutsu, as the sand monstrosity that was Gaara opened its chest, with sand flying outwards, like a net.

'_More like jaws of some beast!'_

He thought back to what he thought a few moments ago.

'_Doesn't look like they turned on us…' _He ran up a tree. "Akamaru! Dynamic Marking!" He glanced over Temari's body, which lay on the ground. _'If they had turned on us, they wouldn't attack each other! What the hell is going on here?' _Temari bled hard from her wound on her shoulder. There was blood on her face too, most likely from when she was slammed into the ground.

'_Where are you Hinata!'_ He couldn't hold his own much longer. He was already down to his last trump card, and he doubted it would do him any good.

Akamaru now transformed back into his original form leapt on Kiba's back. The boy roared the jitsu's name.

"Jinjū Konbi Henge: SŌTŌRŌ!"

O-O-O

Hinata ran up to their campsite, unable to believe the level of destruction that befell the place. Even as she was running, she could see whole trees flying past her, and hear the explosions that shook the ground with their force. As she got there, she could see, even without the byakugan, the giant, two-headed wolf being tossed back through air. It was covered in lacerations. As it slammed into the ground, Hinata could hear the sickening sound of cracking, followed by Kiba's painful scream as his jutsu was dispelled. He was lying on the ground, protecting his unconscious partner with his own body.

One of his legs seemed broken. Gaara, now looking more like a monster than ever before, slowly made his way towards the boy, with murder written on his face. With every step of the way, Gaara slowly raised his hands into the air. The sand went airborne, and then condensed into numerous javelins, each razor sharp, almost screaming in desire to pierce someone's flesh.

Hinata stared at him, unable to move even an inch. Gaara was moving closer and closer. How was he unable to hear the thunderous noise of her beating heart? To her, the sound was deafening. When he got to the place she was hidden, he walked passed her, failing to notice her presence. Mustering all of her courage, Hinata charged with a yell, her left palm shimmering from the concentrated chakra. Gaara quickly turned to counter this new threat – the same sand bust that stopped Kiba's Gatsūga now enveloped her. Hinata struck out with her left hand.

"Hakke Kūshō!"

The moment the grains of sand made contact with her palm, a burst of pure chakra pushed the entire flow of sand back, revealing a clear path to Gaara. Not slowing down even a bit, Hinata ran, her right palm glowing fiercely from the deadly accumulation of chakra.

'_Four meters… three meters… Two…'_ Gaara didn't move. Could it be that he still failed to recognize the threat she posed to him? _'Just one more step!' _With the corner of her eye, she could see the sand returning. It was almost on top of her.

She struck.

The sand burst from the ground.

…

The forest echoed with the terrible sound of a monstrous scream. Half way into the scream, Gaara began laughing manically… hysterically… He forced one of his eyes to open, looking at the girl in front of him, as the sand began falling off her, landing lifelessly to the ground. Her hand, coated in blood, rested on his abdomen. He didn't stop laughing – instead he laughed even harder, enjoying every second of the pain that riddled his body – for the demon of sand, the true demon of sand, the mighty Shukaku was screaming, screaming in agony unlike any it has ever witnessed, in all the years of its existence.

Pausing for a second to catch his breath, Gaara's lips slowly parted.

"Hyuuga… Hinata…" He collapsed over her, as they both fell to the ground. _'A name to remember…' _

O-O-O

_(Meanwhile, somewhere underground)_

Kankuro opened his eyes.

'_Where am I?' _ He wondered, looking at the small cell he was in. It was damp, and dark, with only a single torch lighting the hallway of his prison. He tried to get up, but instantly realized that both of his arms were in casts.

That's when it came back to him – _'I was captured!'_ He somehow managed to get up to his knees. _'Ah, crap…'_ Gently, standing up, he walked a few steps over to the bars of his jail. Across the hall, he could see another prisoner resting in a meditative pose. He wore a large, grayish trench coat. On its back, the coat seemed burned, probably in battle that lead to the prisoner's capture.

'_Wait – isn't that…? Oh, hell no…' _He tried to get his attention.

"Psst! Hey, Shino, is that you?" The person in the other cell said nothing. In fact, he didn't do anything to acknowledge that he was even addressed. Kankuro muttered a silent curse, then tried again.

"Shino Aburame, of the Aburame clan of Konoha shinobi."

Finally, the person seemed to notice him.

"Do not speak anymore, Suna shinobi. I recognize you." Shino spoke. "Why? Because allies remember one another."

"Umm, okay… If you say so…" Kankuro replied, somewhat confused. "So… How'd they get you?"

O-O-O

_(At sunrise)_

Gaara opened his eyes. As he tried to move, he felt a wave of nausea filling him up. Somehow, he managed to hold it down. Looking around himself, he was shocked with what he saw – both Temari and the Hyuuga were kneeling next to the boy, who was lying on the ground. From where he was, he could clearly see that the boy's leg was immobilized in order not to agitate the broken bone. The dog circled around them, waving its tail.

Temari saw him move.

"Gaara! You're awake!" She walked over to him. "Don't move, your chakra points were sealed. You won't be able to mold chakra for a while." He looked down at the ground around him, seeing the sand littering the campsite. Gaara shakily lifted his hand, focusing on the sand, trying to force it back into the gourd.

Nothing.

Temari helped Kiba to stand up. They walked closer to Gaara.

He sighed.

"What now?"

Both Temari and Hinata looked away. The Suna kunoichi was the first to speak,

"We have no choice." She said, somewhat embarrassed. "We'll have to split up. There's a small village to the southeast from here, maybe half a day walking." She took out her copy of the map that showed the local terrain. "See?" She asked. "That's where I'll take you," she pointed at Kiba. "There should be a small group of Suna shinobi hired to maintain order and drive away any bandits. They're mostly genin, I think," she frowned a bit, "but they should have a medical shinobi with them." She then looked at Gaara. "You two should continue to search for the enemy."

Kiba noticed the nervous glances Hitata gave to Gaara every now and then.

"Hey, I'll tell Akamaru to go with you." He ruffled Akamaru's fur. "Got that boy?" The dog whimpered a bit, but barked confirmingly.

Temari, strapped her large fan to her back.

"Don't worry, I'll catch up with you in two days. Gaara, leave me signs."

Gaara nodded. Both he and the Hyuuga heiress stood there, meters from the ruined campsite, staring at the backs of their friends.

Once they were out of sight, Gaara held out his hand, focusing on his chakra.

The sand that littered the place seemed as if it attempted to move, but felt a sharp throbbing pain in his abdomen.

"Umm, G-Gaara-s-san?" He looked at her. She looked at the ground. The next few minutes passed in silence. As she tried to look up, she noticed his eyes were still fixed on her face. Mustering up her courage, she tried again.

"Umm, I am, umm… I'm sorry for hurting you."

Since she didn't look up, there was no way for her to notice him walking up to her. Once she finally realized it however, she was surprised at how frail and weak he seemed – a far cry from the terrifying monster she saw before. It seemed that even standing upright was a struggle for him.

He placed his hand on her shoulder, making her wince.

"You are sorry for hurting me?" he asked, then paused. Finally, he spoke. "If… _that_… from yesterday happens ever again…" He looked her in the eyes.

"Do it without a second of hesitation."

She gave him a quick nod.

As he looked at her, he noticed that her right hand was bandaged up all the way up to her elbow. Gaara looked away, embarrassed by his own weakness. He let her go, walking away.

He stood over a large pile of sand. With his hands stretched out, he tried to force it to move. Little by little, grain by grain, the sand that littered the place pulled itself to him. Finally, after over half an hour of effort, the finished gourd stood before him.

"We should also get moving." He made a few shaky steps before Hinata caught him. When he looked at her, he saw that she was holding a long branch with a 'Y' shaped end. He nodded as she gave it to him.

Tucking the 'Y' part of the branch under his arm, he tried moving again with this makeshift crutch.

"Let's go."

Hinata gave her happy smile, as she walked next to him.

Akamaru barked, running in front of them, wiggling his tail.

O-O-O

_A/N: I should note that this story will not deviate from the canon in almost no way other than the fact that I'm pairing up Gaara and Hinata. Other than that, this story will easily fit in the three-year gap between Naruto and Naruto Shippuuden series. _

_As you have probably figured out, the desert Gaara was in at the beginning of this chapter is his inner world; in other words the place where the Ichibi is sealed (just like the sewers in Naruto's mind, where the Kyuubi is sealed). The Shukaku is sealed beneath the surface of the sand._

_As far as the way Gaara used his sand to fight the Shukaku, I have an explanation. Because he is locked in battle with the Shukaku for dominance, he can use just a portion of the sand he was able to use before (in the original Naruto series). Because of that, he has to be more creative._

_Why can Gaara use Fūton (wind release)? If you check out Narutopedia, you'll see that he has wind nature affinity. It's not so much of a long shot to assume he knows a few Fūton jutsu._

_Jutsu's used:_

_Suna no Tama no jutsu – Sphere of sand_

_Fūton: Toppa – Wind Release: Breakthrough_

_Fūton: Daitoppa – Wind Release: Great Breakthrough_

_Jūjin Bunshin – Beast Human Clone_

_Gatsūga – Fang Passing Fang_

_Jinjū Konbi Henge: SŌTŌRŌ – Human Beast Combination Transformation: Double-Headed Wolf_

_Hakke Kūshō – Eight Trigrams Empty Palm_

_C__onstructive criticism and/or reasonable complaints are more than welcome. Flames only with an explanation why – otherwise they'll be ignored._

_Hope you had fun reading this. I'll try to get back with an update soon._

_~KuroiTori-sama_

_PS: Reviews are nice. They don't take more than a minute or two to write, but have the power to brighten up the writer's day tenfold. So, please review._


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